How to Schedule a Delayed or Timed Email in Outlook

Why Schedule an Email?

Sometimes you write an email at the wrong time — late at night, over the weekend, or too far ahead of when you want the recipient to read it. Scheduling lets you compose the message now and have Outlook deliver it automatically at the right moment.

Common uses include:

• Sending a quote or proposal first thing Monday morning rather than over the weekend
• Scheduling a follow-up reminder for a client without having to remember to come back to it
• Sending a birthday or congratulations message at the right time
• Timing a team announcement for when staff are starting their day

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook (Desktop)

For Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2016 or Later

• Open Outlook and click New Email to compose your message
• Write your email as normal — subject, recipient, and message body
• Before clicking Send, go to the Options tab in the ribbon at the top of the compose window
• Click Delay Delivery
• A dialog box will open
• Tick the box next to Do not deliver before
• Set the date and time you want the email to go out
• Click Close
• Click Send — the email will sit in your Outbox until the scheduled time

Important: Your computer (or Outlook) must be running and connected at the scheduled send time for the email to go out. If your laptop is closed or offline, the email will send as soon as Outlook reconnects.

Checking or Cancelling a Scheduled Email

To review or cancel a delayed email:

• Go to your Outbox folder in the left-hand panel
• Find the scheduled message — it will show the future send time
• Double-click to open it
• To cancel: delete the email, or change the date and time to resend later
• To edit: make your changes, go back to Options > Delay Delivery and adjust or clear the schedule, then send again

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook on the Web (office.com)

If you use Outlook through your browser:

• Go to outlook.office.com and sign in
• Click New mail to compose your message
• Write your email as normal
• Instead of clicking the Send button, click the dropdown arrow next to the Send button
• Select Schedule send
• Choose one of the suggested times, or click Custom time to pick your own date and time
• Click Send — the email is now scheduled

Scheduled emails in Outlook on the web are stored under Drafts with a clock icon. You can open them to edit or cancel at any time before the send time.

How to Schedule an Email in the Outlook Mobile App

• Open the Outlook app on your iPhone or Android
• Tap the compose icon to write a new email
• Write your message as normal
• Tap the send icon — but before confirming, look for the Send Later option (tap and hold the send button on some versions, or tap the three dots in the top right corner)
• Select Send Later and choose your preferred date and time
• Confirm and the email will be scheduled

Note: The exact steps may vary slightly depending on your version of the Outlook app. If you cannot find Send Later, check for updates to the app.

Tips for Scheduling Emails Effectively

Think about timing:

• Emails sent between 8am and 10am on weekdays typically get the highest open rates
• Avoid scheduling emails for very early morning or late evening if you want a prompt reply
• Consider the recipient's time zone if they are interstate or overseas

Leave yourself time to review:

• If you schedule an email days in advance, set a reminder to review it before it sends — circumstances may change

Use it for internal communications:

• Scheduling is especially useful for sending team announcements at the start of a shift rather than out of hours

Do not rely on it for urgent matters:

• If the message is time-sensitive and must arrive at an exact moment, confirm your computer and Outlook are active at that time (desktop version), or use the web version which sends from Microsoft's servers regardless of whether your computer is on

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a scheduled email send if my computer is off? In the desktop version of Outlook, no — the email will send when Outlook next connects. In the web version (outlook.office.com), yes — Microsoft sends it from their servers even if your device is off.

Can I schedule recurring emails? Outlook does not have a built-in recurring scheduled email feature. For recurring messages, consider using a template and scheduling each one individually, or contact your IT team about automation options.

What if I need to change a scheduled email? Go to Outbox (desktop) or Drafts (web), open the email, make your changes, and reschedule or send immediately.

Need Help?

If you need assistance with Outlook's features, contact Netluma IT.

Phone: 1300 521 162 Email: helpdesk@netlumait.com.au